Special needs boat configuration

ABSTRACT

Boat configurations and implementations are provided to make it more accessible for disabled people to participate in boating, commercial or recreational. A boat engine may be positioned in front of the helm, a flat boat deck may allow access to the engine and helm by a person in a wheelchair or similar physical impairment, and a flat access to the boat deck at the stern of the boat may allow disabled people to easily get on board.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser.No. 15/980,897 filed on May 16, 2018, which in turn claims the benefitunder 35 U.S.C. § 119(e) of U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No.62/646,249 filed on Mar. 21, 2018. The disclosures of the aboveapplications are hereby incorporated by reference in their entirety.

BACKGROUND

People with disabilities, and specifically, wounded veterans find itdifficult to participate in a number of regular activities. Boating, forcommercial or recreational purposes, is one of the activities a disabledperson may have challenges in participating because of design andconfiguration of conventional boats. For example, access to the boatwith a wheelchair or use of the boat may be difficult or impossible fora disabled person in wheelchair or similar physical impairments.

Typically, a person may need to access the engine, which is commonlypositioned in the back of the boat, and the helm, which is typicallypositioned in the middle of the boat.

BRIEF SUMMARY

This summary is provided to introduce a selection of concepts in asimplified form that are further described below in the DetailedDescription. This summary is not intended to identify key features oressential features of the claimed subject matter, nor is it intended asan aid in determining the scope of the claimed subject matter.

Example embodiments are directed to boat configurations andimplementations that make it more accessible for disabled people toparticipate in boating, commercial or recreational. A boat engine may bepositioned in front of the helm, a flat boat deck may allow access tothe engine and helm by a person in a wheelchair or similar physicalimpairment, and a flat access to the boat deck at the stern of the boatmay allow disabled people to easily get on board.

These and other features and advantages will be apparent from a readingof the following detailed description and a review of the associateddrawings. It is to be understood that both the foregoing generaldescription and the following detailed description are explanatory onlyand are not restrictive of aspects as claimed.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The following Detailed Description proceeds with reference to theaccompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1A-1C include diagrams of a superstructure for an example boataccording to embodiments from different viewing angles.

FIG. 2 is top view diagram of an example boat according to embodimentswith example dimensions.

FIG. 3A-3D include illustrations of how a disabled person can accessvarious locations on a boat according to embodiments and examples ofassistive technologies.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

In the following detailed description, references are made to theaccompanying drawings that form a part hereof, and in which are shown byway of illustration specific embodiments or examples. These embodimentsor examples may be combined, other aspects may be utilized, andstructural changes may be made without departing from the spirit orscope of the present disclosure. The following detailed description istherefore not to be taken in a limiting sense, and the scope of thepresent invention is defined by the appended claims and theirequivalents.

All dimensions, configurations, and other measures provided herein andin the accompanying drawings are example values. Embodiments may beimplemented with other dimensions, configurations, and measures usingthe principles described herein.

FIG. 1A-1C include diagrams of a superstructure for an example boataccording to embodiments from different viewing angles.

Some disabled people may require assistive technologies to move around.Assistive technologies may include a wheelchair, a walker, crutches, orprosthetic legs. As shown in diagrams 100A through 100C, a boataccording to embodiments may include a relatively flat deck 102 toenable a disabled person to use a wheelchair or walk with assistivetechnologies. A canopy or second deck 104 may be above the main deck ata suitable height and accessible through one or more ladders 111 atsuitable locations. A gate 110 at the stern of the boat may provideprotection while the boat is at sea, but also allow wheelchair access tothe deck the boat is docked. A removable security railing 109 positionedalong one or more sides of the boat (and/or along one or more sides ofthe canopy or second deck 104) may be configured to allow the peopleusing assistive technologies off the boat into water or to a smallerboat.

In some examples, the second deck 104 above the main deck 102 may beaccessible through a lift 103 at a suitable location. In such cases, asecurity mechanism 105 may be placed on the second deck 104 for safemovement of an assistive technology (e.g., wheelchair or walker) on thesecond deck 104. The security mechanism 105 may include rails, recessedtracks, or similar mechanisms that allow a wheelchair, for example, tomove and be secured along the second deck. The wheelchair (or a walker)may be secured in place using a safety locking mechanism 107. The safetylocking mechanism 107 may include a structure as simple as hooks (to tiedown the wheelchair), or more complicated mechanisms such as S- orL-tracks. S- or L-tracks (or similar mechanisms) are specially designedtracks with extrusions and/or recesses built-in to allow locks or hooksto be securely placed at selected locations. The “S” or “L” typicallyrefer to a cross-section of the specific track type. The lift 103 may bean open lift (a platform configured to move vertically) or a closed lift(platform and sidewalls).

A boat according to embodiments may be powered by an outboard or inboardmotor. Any type of motor such as gas, electric, etc. may be used. Enginetype, capacity, and other parameters may be selected based onimplementation specifics such as size, weight, intended use, etc. of theboat. For example, outboard engines ranging from 45 HP to 300 HP may beutilized.

An engine well 106 housing the engine (not shown) may be placed near thebow of the boat with a helm 108 behind the engine well 106. Placementand dimensions of the engine well 106 and the helm 108 may be selectedsuch that a person in a wheelchair can maneuver around both (behind, onthe sides, and in front) to access the engine and use helm controlseasily. The entire deck 102 including the area around the helm 108 andthe engine well 106 may be relatively flat to allow the person inwheelchair or using other assistive technologies access all areas.

Fastening/security mechanisms to hold the wheelchair in place behind thehelm or in other locations may be provided such as stationary or movablelocks, hooks, S-tracks, L-tracks, or similar ones. The sides, bow, andstern of the boat may be equipped with safety railing. The stern mayalso include a safety locking gate 110. Special railing (removablesecurity railing 109) may be provided at stern or either side of theboat to assist disabled people off the boat into water or a smallerpaddle boat (e.g., a kayak).

A length and width of the boat may also be selected based onimplementation specifics such as size, weight, intended use, etc. of theboat. For example, length may be in range from 9 ft to 36 ft, and widthmay range from 5 ft to 12 feet. The total weight of the boat may range(for example) from 800 lbs to 6000 lbs. The deck capacity behind theengine well may be estimated around 5000 lbs in an exampleimplementation and may range from 600 lbs to 12000 lbs, for example.

Any suitable materials may be used to build the boat. For example, afiberglass hull manufactured in a mold may be used. The understructure(stringers, bulkheads and deck) may be made from foam core composite andfiberglass (or other materials). The gunnel and helm may be made frommarine treated wood and fiberglass in some examples. The superstructuremay be made using anodized marine grade aluminum or similar materials.

FIG. 2 is top view diagram of an example boat according to embodimentswith example dimensions.

Diagram 200 shows an example placement configuration for a boataccording to embodiments and some of the dimensions that may be criticalfor accessibility. As mentioned above, engine well 206 with the engine220 is positioned near the bow of the boat with sufficient spacing 222to allow wheelchair access to the engine and to allow a person inwheelchair maneuver around the engine well 206. Helm 208 is placedbehind the engine well 206. A width 224 of the deck and a spacing 226between the helm 208 and the sides of the boat may be selected to alloweasy access to wheelchairs. A spacing 2258 between the aft of the boatand the helm 208 may be selected based on the overall length of theboat, helm and engine well dimensions, needed space (e.g., toaccommodate a number of passengers, equipment, etc.).

In some example implementations, the helm 208 may be positioned from 4ft to 25 ft on a boat with a length between 28 ft and 32 ft. The enginewell 206 may be positioned from 1 ft to 20 ft in front of the helm on asimilar boat.

Embodiments are directed to a power boat that has the engine well 206positioned in front of the helm 208 and steering wheel for the purposeof giving people with disabilities or other mobility restrictions betteraccess to board the boat from the stern (back) of the boat, as well asaccess to critical functional elements of the boat. Thus, access may beprovided, for mobility impaired people, to all helm operations, awindless (anchor) control panel, fueling intake, battery on/off switchor other controls, safety equipment including life vest, and the engine.

By configuring the engine 220 in front of the helm 208 and having a flatstern, access may be provided for boarding with or without mechanicalaids such as wheelchairs or lifts. The boat may include other typicalboat accessories such as a shade, electronic equipment (e.g., radar),etc.

FIG. 3A-3D include illustrations of how a disabled person can accessvarious locations on a boat according to embodiments and examples ofassistive technologies.

As shown in diagram 300A, a disabled person 330 (e.g., using awheelchair) may get on board through the stern. As the boat isconfigured with a flat deck 302, the disabled person 330 may get onboard using a ramp or directly from a dock. In some cases, a lift ofsimilar aid technology may also be accommodated. Once on board, thedisabled person may have easy access to the helm 308, engine well 306,and engine 320. Indeed, with the help of the flat deck and sufficientspacing around the helm 308, engine well 306, and engine 320, thedisabled person 330 may maneuver around those and access them fromdifferent angles. A security mechanism 309 positioned behind the helm,at a side of the engine well, in front of the engine well, and along aside of the boat may be configured to provide a safe movement path for awheelchair and include recessed tracks, rails, or similar mechanisms.The security mechanism 309 may include a safety locking mechanism 307such as stationary or movable locks, hooks, S-tracks, L-tracks, orsimilar ones configured to hold the wheelchair in place. The main deckmay be configured to provide access to the boat for the people usingassistive technologies at the stern of the boat through a ramp 334 froma dock.

Diagram 300B shows the disabled person 330 using a wheelchair 332secured using a safety locking mechanism 307 in front of the helm 308controlling boat operations. As mentioned above, fastening and/orsecurity mechanisms to hold the wheelchair in place behind the helm orin other locations may be provided such as S-tracking or similar ones.The sides, bow, and stern of the boat may also be equipped with safetyrailing. The stern may also include a safety locking gate, where themain deck may be configured to provide access to the boat for the peopleusing assistive technologies at the stern of the boat through directaccess from a dock 340.

Diagram 300C shows the disabled person 330 next to the engine well 206.With the help of the flat deck and sufficient spacing around the helm308, engine well 306, and engine 320, the disabled person 330 using awheelchair 332 may access the engine well 308 and the engine 320 fromdifferent angles to start the boat, to maintain the engine, or performother tasks. The wheelchair may be secured in place through a safetylocking mechanism. Diagram 300D shows examples of assistivetechnologies, known in the art, such as a wheelchair 332, a walker 354,a prosthetic leg 356, and a pair of crutches 358.

According to some examples, a boat configured for people using awheelchair is described. The boat may include a flat main deckconfigured to allow access for a person using the wheelchair tosubstantially all locations on the main deck; a safety locking gate at astern of the boat to allow access to the boat for the person using thewheelchair; an engine well configured to house an engine; and a helmconfigured to house equipment to control boat operations. The enginewell may be positioned proximate to a bow of the boat, the helm may bepositioned behind the engine well toward a stern of the boat, and aspacing between the engine well, the helm, and front, sides, and back ofthe boat may be configured to allow access to the person using thewheelchair to substantially all locations on the main deck.

According to other examples, the boat may further include a second deckpositioned above the main deck and accessible through one or moreladders or a lift. The second deck may be a canopy. The lift may be anopen lift. The boat may also include a security mechanism positioned onthe second deck, where the security mechanism may be configured toprovide a safe movement path for the wheelchair. The boat may furtherinclude a security mechanism positioned at one or more of behind thehelm, on a side of the engine well, in front of the engine well, andalong a side of the boat, where the security mechanism may be configuredto provide a safe movement path for the wheelchair. The boat may alsoinclude a safety locking mechanism positioned at one or more locationsalong the security mechanism, where the safety locking mechanism may beconfigured to secure the wheelchair in place. The safety lockingmechanism may include one or more of hooks, locks, S-tracks, orL-tracks. The main deck may be configured to provide access to the boatfor the person using the wheelchair at the stern of the boat through oneor more of a ramp and direct access from a dock.

According to further examples, a boat configured for people usingassistive technologies is described. The boat may include asubstantially flat main deck configured to provide access to the boatfor the people using assistive technologies at a stern of the boatthrough one or more of a ramp and direct access from a dock; an enginewell configured to house an engine, where the engine well may bepositioned proximate to a bow of the boat with sufficient spacingbetween a front of the engine well and the bow, and between sides of theengine well and sides of the boat to allow access to the engine well forthe people using assistive technologies; and a helm configured to houseequipment to control boat operations, where the helm may be positionedbehind the engine well toward the stern of the boat with sufficientspacing between the helm and a back of the engine well, and between thehelm and the sides of the boat to allow access to the helm for thepeople using assistive technologies.

According to yet other examples, a total length of the boat may be in arange between 9 ft and 36 ft, and a total width of the boat is in arange between 5 ft and 12 ft. The helm may be positioned in a rangebetween 4 ft and 25 ft from the stern of the boat. The engine well maybe positioned in a range between 1 ft and 20 ft in front of the helm ofthe boat. The engine may be an outboard motor or an inboard motor. Theengine may be a gas-powered motor or an electric powered motor. The boatmay further include a removable security railing positioned along one ormore sides of the boat configured to allow the people using assistivetechnologies off the boat into water or to a smaller boat. A deckcapacity of the boat may be in a range between 600 lbs and 12000 lbs. Asuperstructure of the boat may be manufactured from fiberglass, marinetreated wood, composite material, or marine grade aluminum. The boat mayalso include a security mechanism positioned at one or more of behindthe helm, on a side of the engine well, in front of the engine well, andalong a side of the boat, where the security mechanism may be configuredto provide a safe movement path for the assistive technologies, andwhere the assistive technologies may include a wheelchair, a walker,crutches, or prosthetic legs. The boat may also include a safety lockingmechanism positioned at one or more locations along the securitymechanism, where the safety locking mechanism may be configured tosecure the assistive technologies in place.

The foregoing detailed description has set forth various embodiments ofthe devices and/or processes via the use of block diagrams and/orexamples. Insofar as such block diagrams and/or examples contain one ormore functions and/or aspects, it will be understood by those within theart that each function and/or aspect within such block diagrams orexamples may be implemented, according to embodiments formed,individually and/or collectively, by a wide range of materials,components, hardware, software, firmware, or virtually any combinationthereof.

The present disclosure is not to be limited in terms of the particularembodiments described in this application, which are intended asillustrations of various aspects. Many modifications and variations canbe made without departing from its spirit and scope, as will be apparentto those skilled in the art. Functionally equivalent methods andapparatuses within the scope of the disclosure, in addition to thoseenumerated herein, will be apparent to those skilled in the art from theforegoing descriptions. Such modifications and variations are intendedto fall within the scope of the appended claims. The present disclosureis to be limited only by the terms of the appended claims, along withthe full scope of equivalents to which such claims are entitled. It isalso to be understood that the terminology used herein is for thepurpose of describing particular embodiments only, and is not intendedto be limiting.

With respect to the use of substantially any plural and/or singularterms herein, those having skill in the art can translate from theplural to the singular and/or from the singular to the plural as isappropriate to the context and/or application. The varioussingular/plural permutations may be expressly set forth herein for sakeof clarity.

It will be understood by those within the art that, in general, termsused herein, and especially in the appended claims (e.g., bodies of theappended claims) are generally intended as “open” terms (e.g., the term“including” should be interpreted as “including but not limited to,” theterm “having” should be interpreted as “having at least,” the term“includes” should be interpreted as “includes but is not limited to,”etc.). It will be further understood that if a specific number of anintroduced claim recitation is intended, such an intent will beexplicitly recited in the claim, and in the absence of such recitationno such intent is present. For example, as an aid to understanding, thefollowing appended claims may contain usage of the introductory phrases“at least one” and “one or more” to introduce claim recitations.However, the use of such phrases should not be construed to imply thatthe introduction of a claim recitation by the indefinite articles “a” or“an” limits any particular claim containing such introduced claimrecitation to embodiments containing only one such recitation, even whenthe same claim includes the introductory phrases “one or more” or “atleast one” and indefinite articles such as “a” or “an” (e.g., “a” and/or“an” should be interpreted to mean “at least one” or “one or more”); thesame holds true for the use of definite articles used to introduce claimrecitations. In addition, even if a specific number of an introducedclaim recitation is explicitly recited, those skilled in the art willrecognize that such recitation should be interpreted to mean at leastthe recited number (e.g., the bare recitation of “two recitations,”without other modifiers, means at least two recitations, or two or morerecitations).

Furthermore, in those instances where a convention analogous to “atleast one of A, B, and C, etc.” is used, in general such a constructionis intended in the sense one having skill in the art would understandthe convention (e.g., “a system having at least one of A, B, and C”would include but not be limited to systems that have A alone, B alone,C alone, A and B together, A and C together, B and C together, and/or A,B, and C together, etc.). It will be further understood that virtuallyany disjunctive word and/or phrase presenting two or more alternativeterms, whether in the description, claims, or drawings, should beunderstood to contemplate the possibilities of including one of theterms, either of the terms, or both terms. For example, the phrase “A orB” will be understood to include the possibilities of “A” or “B” or “Aand B.”

As will be understood by one skilled in the art, for any and allpurposes, such as in terms of providing a written description, allranges disclosed herein also encompass any and all possible subrangesand combinations of subranges thereof. Any listed range can be easilyrecognized as sufficiently describing and enabling the same range beingbroken down into at least equal halves, thirds, quarters, fifths,tenths, etc. As a non-limiting example, each range discussed herein canbe readily broken down into a lower third, middle third and upper third,etc. As will also be understood by one skilled in the art all languagesuch as “up to,” “at least,” “greater than,” “less than,” and the likeinclude the number recited and refer to ranges which can be subsequentlybroken down into subranges as discussed above. Finally, as will beunderstood by one skilled in the art, a range includes each individualmember.

I claim:
 1. A boat configured for people using a wheelchair, the boatcomprising: a flat main deck configured to allow access for a personusing the wheelchair to substantially all locations on the main deck; asafety locking gate at a stern of the boat to allow access to the boatfor the person using the wheelchair; an engine well configured to housean engine; and a helm configured to house equipment to control boatoperations, wherein the engine well is positioned proximate to a bow ofthe boat, the helm is positioned behind the engine well toward a sternof the boat, and a spacing between the engine well, the helm, and front,sides, and back of the boat is configured to allow access to the personusing the wheelchair to substantially all locations on the main deck. 2.The boat of claim 1, further comprising: a second deck positioned abovethe main deck and accessible through one or more ladders or a lift. 3.The boat of claim 2, wherein the second deck is a canopy.
 4. The boat ofclaim 2, wherein the lift is an open lift.
 5. The boat of claim 2,further comprising: a security mechanism positioned on the second deck,wherein the security mechanism is configured to provide a safe movementpath for the wheelchair.
 6. The boat of claim 1, further comprising: asecurity mechanism positioned at one or more of behind the helm, on aside of the engine well, in front of the engine well, and along a sideof the boat, wherein the security mechanism is configured to provide asafe movement path for the wheelchair.
 7. The boat of claim 6, furthercomprising: a safety locking mechanism positioned at one or morelocations along the security mechanism, wherein the safety lockingmechanism is configured to secure the wheelchair in place.
 8. The boatof claim 7, wherein the safety locking mechanism includes one or more ofhooks, locks, S-tracks, or L-tracks.
 9. The boat of claim 1, wherein themain deck is configured to provide access to the boat for the personusing the wheelchair at the stern of the boat through one or more of aramp and direct access from a dock.
 10. A boat configured for peopleusing assistive technologies, the boat comprising: a substantially flatmain deck configured to provide access to the boat for the people usingassistive technologies at a stern of the boat through one or more of aramp and direct access from a dock; an engine well configured to housean engine, wherein the engine well is positioned proximate to a bow ofthe boat with sufficient spacing between a front of the engine well andthe bow, and between sides of the engine well and sides of the boat toallow access to the engine well for the people using assistivetechnologies; and a helm configured to house equipment to control boatoperations, wherein the helm is positioned behind the engine well towardthe stern of the boat with sufficient spacing between the helm and aback of the engine well, and between the helm and the sides of the boatto allow access to the helm for the people using assistive technologies.11. The boat of claim 10, wherein a total length of the boat is in arange between 9 ft and 36 ft, and a total width of the boat is in arange between 5 ft and 12 ft.
 12. The boat of claim 11, wherein the helmis positioned in a range between 4 ft and 25 ft from the stern of theboat.
 13. The boat of claim 12, wherein the engine well is positioned ina range between 1 ft and 20 ft in front of the helm of the boat.
 14. Theboat of claim 10, wherein the engine is an outboard motor or an inboardmotor.
 15. The boat of claim 10, wherein the engine is a gas-poweredmotor or an electric powered motor.
 16. The boat of claim 10, furthercomprising: a removable security railing positioned along one or moresides of the boat configured to allow the people using assistivetechnologies off the boat into water or to a smaller boat.
 17. The boatof claim 10, wherein a deck capacity of the boat is in a range between600 lbs and 12000 lbs.
 18. The boat of claim 10, wherein asuperstructure of the boat is manufactured from fiberglass, marinetreated wood, composite material, or marine grade aluminum.
 19. The boatof claim 10, further comprising: a security mechanism positioned at oneor more of behind the helm, on a side of the engine well, in front ofthe engine well, and along a side of the boat, wherein the securitymechanism is configured to provide a safe movement path for theassistive technologies, and wherein the assistive technologies include awheelchair, a walker, crutches, or prosthetic legs.
 20. The boat ofclaim 19, further comprising: a safety locking mechanism positioned atone or more locations along the security mechanism, wherein the safetylocking mechanism is configured to secure the assistive technologies inplace.